Cleaning Up - Down on the Farm

Got milk? Most of us do. But chances are you haven’t given much thought to the laundering process on dairy farms. That process, however, can affect milk quality, and in turn, affect the end users and dairy suppliers.

Milk quality is evaluated based on the number of somatic cells, or white blood cells, present in milk, according to Dr. Mike Maroney, University of Wisconsin-Extension milk quality veterinarian. Dairies with low SCC, he says, not only produce more milk per cow than dairies with higher counts, they enjoy larger monetary returns, or premiums, from milk processors. “Quality premiums increase the price the farmer is paid for their product,” says Maroney. “Milk with lower SCC has been shown to yield more cheese.” READ THIS STORY

Monterey Bay Academy Washin’ Safari
by Juliana Moss

MONTEREY, Calif.—Sun, sand, surf and laundry. That’s just part of what many of the 236 students at the Monterey Bay Academy (MBA), a four-year co-educational private high school, experience during their average school day.

Owned and operated by the Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, MBA, a boarding school, is located on 379 acres about 60 miles south of San Francisco on the beautiful coast of California’s Monterey Bay.

“The school’s philosophy is one of real-world work experience,” says Jay Ketelsen, general manager of Campus Laundry for MBA. “The students get practical opportunities in the real world.” Ketelsen, a board member of NAILM, incorporates NAILM courses into the laundry management professional training. READ THIS STORY

Surgical Textiles:
Battle Lines Being Drawn
By Brad Bushman Standard Textile Co., ARTA Past President

The battle of the reusables vs. disposables is entering a new phase. New products and claims are being prepared on each side as the reusable industry eyes the marketplace for surgical products from a new perspective. This perspective is being driven in both the US and Europe by the new performance standards for protective apparel, gowns and drapes, which are entering final development stages. The U.S. standard is expected to be published in 2004. The European standard has already adopted part one of a three-part document.

Up to now, most of the political posturing has been conducted outside of the public view. Expect this to change as the new rules alter expectations of those charged with making purchasing decisions. “Perceived” product quality and performance expectations are now being replaced with quantitative measures that provide the reusables industry an opportunity to compete on a level playing field and dispel many of the myths promulgated by the disposables industry READ THIS STORY